long-finned pilot whale
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| long-finned pilot whale | |
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| Name | Long-finned pilot whale |
| Status | Data Deficient |
| Status system | IUCN |
| Genus | Globicephala |
| Species | melas |
| Authority | Traill, 1809 |
long-finned pilot whale The long-finned pilot whale is a large cetacean of the genus Globicephala; it is closely studied by researchers from institutions such as Smithsonian Institution, University of Oxford, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and University of St Andrews. Field programs by organizations like Marine Conservation Society, WWF, NOAA Fisheries, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, and Greenpeace have documented its presence in northern Atlantic Ocean, linking data sets with voyages by vessels like RV Calanus, RRS Discovery, RV Celtic Explorer, RV Knorr, and RV Investigator.
Taxonomy and Evolution
Taxonomically placed in the family Delphinidae, the species was described by Thomas Stewart Traill in 1809 and has been compared in phylogenetic studies with taxa represented in collections at the Natural History Museum, London, American Museum of Natural History, National Museums Scotland, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, and Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Molecular analyses using markers standardized by labs at Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Copenhagen, Monash University, University of California, Santa Cruz, and University of Bergen have tested relationships among Globicephala species, incorporating fossil calibrations from Pliocene assemblages curated at Museum für Naturkunde, Royal Ontario Museum, Field Museum of Natural History, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, and Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences.
Description
Adults exhibit robust bodies with bulbous foreheads and long pectoral fins; detailed morphometrics are archived in datasets from International Whaling Commission, IUCN, ICES, European Cetacean Society, and Society for Marine Mammalogy. Skin coloration patterns have been compared with specimens photographed by expeditions led by Jacques Cousteau, Sylvia Earle, David Attenborough, Jean-Michel Cousteau, and Rachel Carson-inspired surveys, while skull and dentition studies are cited in monographs by Donald R. Griffin, William E. Schevill, Roger Payne, John E. Heyning, and Philip Hershkovitz.
Distribution and Habitat
Range maps produced by IUCN Red List, NOAA, ICES, North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission, and European Environment Agency show populations in temperate and subpolar waters, including areas surveyed by Scottish Sea Angling Conservation Network, Icelandic Institute of Natural History, Faroe Islands Fisheries Directorate, Norwegian Polar Institute, and Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Seasonal movements intersect marine features monitored by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), European Space Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Met Office, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
Behavior and Social Structure
Social organization has been characterized using long-term studies by teams at University of St Andrews, Sea Mammal Research Unit, Dalhousie University, University of Aberdeen, and University of Lisbon; acoustic repertoires were analyzed in collaboration with MIT, Stanford University, University of Washington, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics. Group stranding phenomena have drawn responses coordinated with agencies such as Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Icelandic Rescue Service, Faroe Islands authorities, and Japanese Fisheries Agency.
Diet and Foraging
Dietary studies combining stomach contents and stable isotopes have been performed by laboratories at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Scottish Association for Marine Science, and Institute of Marine Research (Norway), showing specialization on cephalopods such as species cataloged by ICES, FAO, Royal Society, Zoological Society of London, and Bellona Foundation surveys. Foraging dives and movements have been tracked with tags developed by teams at WHOI, Kongsberg Maritime, Hydroacoustics Laboratory, University of Miami, TagLab, University of St Andrews, and LGL Limited.
Reproduction and Lifespan
Reproductive parameters reported in longitudinal studies from University of Aberdeen, Dalhousie University, Marine Scotland Science, Icelandic Institute of Natural History, and University of Bergen indicate extended maternal care similar to patterns documented in research by National Geographic Society, Royal Society, Smithsonian Institution, Prince Philip's World Wildlife Fund, and Norwegian Institute for Nature Research; age estimation has employed techniques used by USGS, NOAA, ICES, IUCN, and Museum für Naturkunde.
Threats and Conservation
Threat assessments have been produced by IUCN Red List, CMS (Convention on Migratory Species), ASCOBANS, OSPAR Commission, and North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission, identifying entanglement noted by International Whaling Commission, FAO, Greenpeace, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, and WWF. Pollution impacts are evaluated in programs led by UN Environment Programme, European Chemicals Agency, US EPA, Norwegian Environment Agency, and Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency.
Interaction with Humans
Human interactions include fisheries bycatch documented by FAO, ICES, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries, and Marine Scotland; historical drives and cultural practices have involved communities represented by Faroe Islands Government, Icelandic Ministry of Fisheries, Japanese Fisheries Agency, Canadian Inuit organizations, and Greenland Home Rule Government. Public engagement and ecotourism are managed by operators certified through Blue Flag, Green Fins, European Association of Marine Nature Guides, Scottish Whale and Dolphin Group, and Icelandic Whale Watch programs.